


Break into My Heart

by YorkandDelta



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Insecure Eskel (The Witcher), M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, minor reference to past abusive relationship, the witchers work for a pest control company
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29140791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YorkandDelta/pseuds/YorkandDelta
Summary: Eskel moves into a new house and his neighbour's cat decides it likes to break in. Lucky for Eskel that gives him the perfect opportunity to talk to his cute neighbour, Jaskier.
Relationships: Eskel/Jaskier | Dandelion, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 98
Kudos: 108





	1. A Great First Impression

**Author's Note:**

> So I've seen a few modern aus in this fandom where the witchers all have new jobs, but I haven't seen animal control and I think that is the perfect modern translation. 
> 
> I also came up with the stupidest names for everyone's pets and wanted to inflict them on everyone else.

Eskel sighed as he closed the door behind him after a long day. He hung his coat in the closet and slipped off his boots, glad to be in the comfort of his new home. For the first time in his life he was living on his own in a small townhouse. He enjoyed coming home to his own space without having to see other people’s messes lying around.

He stops in the kitchen to grab some leftover pizza. He winced at how empty the fridge was, but he hadn’t had the time or energy to go grocery shopping yet. After quickly heating his meal in the microwave, Eskel went upstairs to sit at the desk in his bedroom. 

While he was scrolling through Kijiji for new furniture, he became aware of a voice coming from outside his window. “Missy! Come here kitty kitty! Pspspsps! Come inside! Missy!!”

Eskel sighed and shook his head at his neighbour. Working for an animal control company made him hate people who let their cats outdoors. He couldn’t count the number of times he had to explain to people that when little Fluffy went missing, she wasn’t coming back. People never let their dogs wander freely off leash, why was a cat so different? Not to mention how many birds they kill, the little murderers. Cute murderers though.

Suddenly the voice turned from coaxing to angry. “You  _ miscreant bastard _ ! You get back in this window before you fall off the roof! I swear you’ve already used up your nine lives.”

Eskel looked out the window and to his surprise he saw a little black cat sitting on the small roof that ran along the row of houses just below the second floor windows and protected the front doors. He pushed open the window and saw that his neighbour was leaning out of his own window shaking a bowl of cat food. 

“Uh, Hi there. You, uh, need a hand?” he asked. 

The man signed and pinched his nose with the hand not holding the bowl. His dark brown hair fell over his face. “Sorry. I don’t know how she got on the roof, but I can’t get her back in and I’m worried she’ll fall.” He looked back up at Eskel and bit his lip.

Eskel looked back at the cat. She looked securely perched at the edge of the gutter, but the roof was too steep for a person to get to her. He looked back at the man and said, “I’ve got an idea, hang on.”

He ducked back inside and rushed downstairs to get a catch pole from his closet. He normally kept it in his truck but he’d needed all of this space to move his furniture so the pole had ended up inside. He got back upstairs and poked his head out the window again, but the cat was gone. Confused, he turned back to his neighbour who was beaming at him.

“I don’t know what you did, but it worked! I’ll meet you downstairs!” and with that he closed his window and disappeared. 

Still confused, Eskel pulled back inside and leaned the pole against the wall. When he turned around he saw the cat sitting on the corner of his bed, staring at him quizzically. 

Eskel laughed and slowly reached out a hand for her to sniff. She was a dainty little thing. Now that he was closer Eskel saw that she wasn’t entirely black. She had some white on her chest and one paw, as well as orange patches on her back. Once she was done sniffing Eskel carefully picked her up. She weighed almost nothing and looked so small in his large hands. He made his way downstairs to return her to her owner. 

His neighbour was already waiting at his front door and the cat was eagerly scooped out of his arms.

“Thank you so much!” the man said. “I don’t know how she keeps getting out, I think she just likes living up to her name. This is Miscreant, Missy for short, and I’m Jaskier.”

“It’s nice to meet you Jaskier, I’m Eskel. And I didn’t do anything, she just came in on her own when I was getting my catch pole.”

“Your what?”

“Uh, you know that stick with a loop on it people use to catch dogs and racoons?”

“Oh yes, why do you have one of those?”

“I work in animal control.”

Jaskier looked delighted by that. “So you rescue cats for a living! What a hero!”

Eskel laughed. “Something like that, sure. It’s usually racoons or possums though.”

“Is that how you got the..” and he gestured to the right side of his own face.

Eskel fought back a grimace, knowing it only made the scars look worse. Instead he tipped his face away from Jaskier and firmly said, “No.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, that was so rude.” Jaskier at least had the decency to look apologetic. 

“It’s fine.”

Jaskier grimaced and shifted his hold on Miscreant. “Ah, so. You just moved in right? How are you liking it?”

“It’s nice. It's a good area.”

“Move in went smoothly?”

“Yeah, it was faster than I thought.”

“You’ll have to tell me what moving company you used! I’ve never seen such attractive, muscley men!” joked Jaskier. 

Eskel stammered. “Oh, no, those were my brothers.”

“Wow, well! At least it runs in the family, eh?”

“We’re... adopted?” He doesn’t know why he said that. His brain was screaming at him to stop because now he made it  _ awkward _ and it was too much personal information and from the look on Jaskier’s face is clearly horrified. “Sorry, I’m gonna go.”

“Yeah, no, yeah. Thanks for the cat. I mean,” Jaskier started walking back to his own door. “Thanks for _helping_ _with_ the cat.”

“Any time.” said Eskel before retreating back into his own house and closing the door behind him. Fuck, not even a full week in his new place and he already managed to weird out his neighbour. Not for the first time he cursed his terrible social skills. This is why he lived by himself. He didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing all the time. 


	2. Scaredy Cat

Why Eskel ever followed Lambert’s advice was a mystery. Obviously he knew better for most things, usually his troll of a brother only offered the worst advice as a joke or to cause problems, but he didn’t realize he shouldn’t listen to Lambert’s movie recommendations either. 

The movie turned out to be one of the most unsettling horror films he’d ever seen. Where did his brother even find something like that? Now he had to go to sleep, on a dark stormy night, in his empty apartment. He knew Lambert did this on purpose to freak him out, but he could never complain because he didn’t want him to know it’d  _ worked _ . 

What the fuck was that noise? 

Something was tapping and it sounded like it was in the room with him. He took deep breaths. It was all in his imagination. It was just the wind in the trees, he was a big, scary man who wouldn’t let a little storm freak him out. 

A sudden wailing had him bolting upright in bed. He looked around frantically for the source of the noises.

Yellow eyes stared in through his window and Eskel shrieked and jumped out of bed. 

The tapping noise started in again followed by a mournful meow. It was only his neighbour’s cat. He groaned and went to open his window. The cat jumped in and raced under his bed. 

Closing the window to keep the rain out, Eskel sighed then laughed at himself. He really could never tell Lambert about this. Eskel knelt beside his bed and saw that the cat was huddled in the middle, out of reach. 

Eskel turned on the lights and went to the kitchen to fork a can of tuna into a bowl. He stopped in the bathroom to grab a towel and laid both things out on his bedroom floor. He grabbed his phone for something to do, sat on the floor, and waited. Soon enough Miscreant came out from hiding and started daintily nibbling the fish. Eskel waited a moment to let her settle before slowly approaching and wrapping her in the towel. 

He brought his bundle of cat downstairs, only stopping to grab a coat, before heading outside to knock at his neighbour’s door. He knocked twice and rang the bell, but got no answer. His neighbour must be a really heavy sleeper. He looked down at the cat and sighed, “well, I guess we’re having a sleepover.”

When he got home he dried the cat off as best he could, and brought the tuna into the kitchen so she could finish her snack. He remembered to put down a bowl of water for her and found some newspaper to put on the floor of the bathroom, really hoping she would know to use it. 

Exhausted, Eskel climbed back into bed. He was just drifting off to sleep when he felt the cat jump on the end of the bed. He gave her a gentle push off because he didn’t want a wet cat making his sheets damp. She slunk away indignantly, and Eskel fell asleep to the sound of her licking herself clean.

He woke up with the cat meowing beside his head. He rolled out of bed to check the time and cursed when he saw that his phone wasn’t on his nightstand. Eskel got dressed and went downstairs. In all the excitement last night he’d left his phone on the kitchen counter. When he finally checked it he realized that he’d missed his alarm and was going to be late for work. Even though his boss was his father he knew he’d get a lecture about punctuality.

Eskel brushed his teeth and grabbed a muffin to eat in the car. He made sure he had everything he needed for the day, grabbed Missy and left the house. He had no idea what he would do if he couldn’t return the cat.

Luckily Jaskier answered the door after the first knock. He gasped with delight when Eskel handed him his cat. “You little delinquent! Where were you! I was so worried! How did you find her?” The last question was aimed at Eskel.

“She came in through the window again last night.”

Jaskier frowned. “But my window wasn’t even open! I checked when I was looking for her after I got home last night.”

Eskel shrugged. “She got out somehow. You might want to put a collar on her if she keeps escaping.” 

“That’s a good idea.” Jaskier smiled at him. “Thanks for rescuing her! Again. Can I invite you in for a coffee as thanks?”

“I’m actually late for work. But I appreciate the offer.” Eskel waved goodbye and got in his truck. He smiled to himself, even though he knew his brothers would give him shit for being late all he could think about was the relieved smile on Jaskier’s face when he saw his cat. 

  
  


The third time it happens, Eskel just finds Missy staring in through his window. She isn’t begging to be let in or meowing, she’s just sitting and watching him. 

“If you were a male I’d make a peeping Tom cat joke, you creep.” Eskel said to the cat as he let her into his bedroom. 

Jaskier must have listened to his advice, because Miscreant is wearing a bright blue collar with a nametag and phone number engraved on it. His neighbour still didn’t answer the door, but now Eskel has a way of getting in touch with him.

Eskel tried calling first, but he got no answer. Not wanting to leave a voicemail, he decided to just send a text. It took him a few rewrites to figure out what to say without coming across as weird or too formal. 

_ Hello, this is your neighbour Eskel. Your cat was on the roof again, but I got her inside. Could you please let me know when you can come get her? _

It is still early in the evening, so Eskel sets up a water bowl and more newspapers on the floor, then settles down to read a book. At first Missy keeps her distance, but before too long Eskel notices her creeping closer. Eventually she hops up on the couch beside him. He holds his hand out for her to sniff, and when that meets with approval, moves to scratch behind her ears. Missy purrs and rubs her face against his fingers. 

His phone chimes, so he pulls away from Missy to answer it. It’s a text from Jaskier.

_ Hi! Thanks so much for rescuing her! _

_ I’m actually at a gig right now so I can’t come get her until late :( I can come when I get home, or in the morning? _

Well, Eskel supposed, having a quiet night in with a cat on his lap wasn’t the  _ worst _ thing. He didn’t sleep very well, so he might even still be awake when Jaskier got home. He answered the text. 

_ No worries! Let me know when you’re home. If it is too late and I’m asleep I’ll drop her off in the morning. _

Eskel chews his lip for a second before adding 

_ And good luck at your gig _

Jaskier’s reply, when it comes, is a string of smiley faces, a thumbs up, and a cat with heart eyes. Eskel is smiling to himself at the message when he feels a light touch on his leg. He looks down and sees Missy touching him with her paw. He raises his arms out of the way and the cat curls up on his lap. 

It’s nice. Miscreant is a warm weight on his lap, but it is soothing. She is purring loud enough for him to hear, and he can feel the rumble of it as well. Her fur is soft and he strokes it lightly. Eskel has kept a pet scorpion for a few years, but it lives in a terrarium and certainly doesn’t cuddle. He could get used to it.

Eskel is engrossed in his book when he hears a knock on the door. He assumes it is Jaskier so he picks up Missy and stands to open the door. 

He finds Jaskier waiting for him on his doorstep with a guitar case slung over his shoulder and a brown paper bag in his hand.

“Hi there! Thanks again. I’m sorry she’s causing you so much trouble.”

Eskel smiles and hands over the cat. Jaskier takes her awkwardly, trying to balance her while holding the bag. “It’s no trouble. She’s a sweet little cat.”

Jaskier laughs. “Oh that’s just what she wants you to think. She’s lulling you into a false sense of security. Also, here,” Jaskier held out the bag, “I got you a little something. A welcome-to-the-neighbourhood, thanks-for-dealing-with-my-cat’s-shenanigans gift.”

“Thank you. You didn’t need to do that.” said Eskel, taking the bag from him.

Jaskier just shrugged. “I wanted to.”

Eskel looked inside the bag. Inside were a half dozen cookies with colourful icing and sprinkles. “Wow, those look delicious! Thanks!”

“My pleasure! They’re from this great little bakery downtown. My band always stops to eat there after a show, but I didn’t stay tonight so I could take this little miss off your hands.”

“Oh, that’s cool. You’re a musician?” Eskel cringed at how obvious the question was, but Jaskier lit up with excitement.

“Yeah! I’m in a band, the Traveling Bards. We play shows around the city and we’re working on a CD right now.”

“Do people still buy CDs these days? I thought it was all digital or vinyl for the hipsters.”

Jaskier laughed. “Well yes. Mostly it will be digital, but they still call it a CD. I’m sure we’ll have a few hard copies to sell as well. Maybe even vinyl for the hipsters.”

“Well good luck! I bet it is a lot of work.”

“It is, and I could go on about it for hours if you let me, but it’s late and I think it’s time I said goodnight.”

“Of course. Goodnight Jaskier, and thanks again for the cookies.”

“No, thank you for babysitting this trouble maker! See you around Eskel!”

Eskel waved one more time and retreated back inside. When he was in bed waiting to fall asleep the thought about a warm soft weight in his lap and a musical laugh in his ear. 


	3. Habits

Missy keeps coming back, and it becomes a habit to lure her off the roof. Eskel sees Missy in the window, texts Jaskier to see if he’s home, and, when he’s not, reads or watches TV with the cat curled up on his lap. By this point he’s invested in a litter box and cat food, and even has some cat toys around the apartment. She usually only visits once a week when Jaskier is working a gig. The poor thing probably gets lonely. 

Jaskier always brings him a treat from the bakery and they stand and chat for a few minutes before they say goodnight. It’s nice.

It’s really, really nice. 

It starts as small talk about how their days went, but it leads to them swapping stories from their jobs. Jaskier’s stories centred around the drama of the local music scene, or the drunken antics of his audience. Eskel thought his work would be boring in comparison, but Jaskier always wants to hear about what he’d done that week. Eskel quickly realizes that Jaskier has a soft spot for baby animals, without realizing how vicious the mothers of those babies can be. 

One night he showed Jaskier a photo of a nest of baby squirrels and his neighbour had cooed over them so much that Eskel started going out of his way to photograph the animals he was working with to show Jaskier later. When Eskel had to rescue someone else’s cat from a roof he took a picture and sent it to Jaskier right away with the caption  _ you’re not the only one with this problem. _

Jaskier had replied with a picture of Missy covered in flour and the caption  _ but she’s my problem and I love her. _ From then on the two of them started texting and sending pictures more often. Jaskier quickly becomes the person Eskel texts the most. He sees his brothers at work, and he’s never been good at making or keeping in touch with friends so it is unusual to spend so much time on his phone. 

His brothers are curious about why he’s started smiling at his phone so much, but he’s learned to ignore their teasing when they were still kids. He could just tell them about his cute neighbour and his escape artist cat, but he doesn’t. He wants to keep Jaskier to himself, just for a while longer. He doesn’t want them thinking there is anything going on between the two of them. He and Jaskier are neighbours, or maybe even friends, but nothing more. Eskel doesn’t think he can hide from his brothers just how much he wishes they were more. 

He wishes, when Jaskier comes by to collect his cat, that he can invite the other man in. He wishes, when Jaskier gives him cookies or cupcakes as thanks, that he could invite Jaskier to go out to that bakery together. Just the two of them. He never does, but he  _ wishes _ . 

Jaskier is attractive. Eskel knew that since their first awkward conversation. It was hard to miss, and even harder to ignore. But Jaskier is more than that. He’s smart, he writes all his own music and apparently has multiple arts degrees. He’s charming, funny, kind, and outgoing. 

He’s everything Eskel is not. 

When Jaskier smiles it’s like the sun breaking through clouds. When Eskel smiles his scars twist it into a grimace. Jaskier has a glamorous job performing for adoring fans. Eskel has come home covered in skunk spray twice in the past week alone. Jaskier won scholarships to study music and creative writing. Eskel has a community college business diploma and works for his father’s company. They’re at opposite ends of some kind of spectrum, and it breaks Eskel’s heart. 

Eventually Eskel realizes that he should be offering to help Jaskier keep his cat in her own home. He almost doesn’t say anything. He’s come to enjoy Missy’s visits and talking to Jaskier for a few minutes has become the highlight of his week. But he knows keeping Missy safe is more important. That’s why one night when Jaskier comes over to pick up his cat, Eskel tells him about squirrel-proofing his window. 

“It’s a screen mesh we use to keep squirrels from making a home in people’s attics. I could install it over your window if you like, to keep Missy from getting out.”

Jaskier looks surprised at the offer. “I wouldn’t want you to go through that much trouble.”

“It’s no trouble, I can get the material from work and it takes no time to install. Plus, what if she gets out and I’m not there to let her in?”

This wins Jaskier over to the idea. “Well if you’re sure you don’t mind…”

Which is how Eskel ended up in Jaskier’s bedroom. Installing the screen wasn’t difficult, but Eskel took extra time to make sure it was neat. He was very aware of Jaskier sprawled out on the bed behind him. It was a little distracting and Eskel was doing his best to only focus on his work.

Once he was finished, Miscreant jumped up to inspect his work. He pet her as she sniffed at the screen and laughed when she meowed sadly at him. “I know sweetheart, I’ll miss you too, but you’ve gotta stay indoors.” He scratched her chin as she nuzzled her fingers. 

“You can always come visit.” said Jaskier softly.

Eskel turned and saw Jaskier laying on his stomach with his chin propped on his hands. He was smiling softly at them. Eskel’s heart stuttered with the desire to reach for him, to run his fingers through that soft brown hair. 

Instead he turned back to the cat and swallowed the lump in his throat before saying, “Yeah, sure.” Because that’s just part of the script. Jaskier didn’t mean he should actually come over and visit his cat. He certainly didn’t mean that Eskel should come over to visit  _ him _ . It was like running into someone you went to school with and hearing  _ we should hang out sometime _ . It didn’t mean they would ever actually hang out. Wouldn’t mean they’d ever want to. Eskel wanted to. 

Jaskier stood up and joined him at the window. He pet Missy and poked at the screen. “This looks really good, and I bet it will be good at keeping the bugs out too.”

“Mhm, and squirrels. That’s what it was designed for.” 

Jaskier grinned up at him. “I don’t know what Missy would do if a squirrel came in. She’d probably try to make friends with it.” He spun to face Eskel and planted one hand on his hip. “So, what are we ordering for dinner?”

“Dinner?”

“Yes. You just provided labour and materials to cat-proof my window, not to mention hours of cat-sitting. So in return you get dinner. What do you like? Pizza? Chinese?”

“You don’t have to do that, it’s fine.” Really, he didn’t expect anything in return. He was happy to do this favour for Jaskier and that was enough.

“Nonsense. I mean, I could thank you in other ways.” He reached out and put his hand on Eskel’s arm, right above the elbow, and winked. Eskel was so stunned that he couldn’t react before the hand was gone and Jaskier was walking towards the stairs. “But I don’t think you’d be interested in that. So! Dinner it is. If you don’t have a preference, there is a really good burger place. Do you like burgers?”

“Yes?”

“Good, come look at the menu.”

Eskel was still reeling from being winked at. It was clearly a joke, he’d realized quickly that Jaskier had a very flirty sense of humour. But it did make his brain race with other ways Jaskier could ‘thank’ him. None of them were appropriate for good neighbourly relations.

In a daze, Eskel just picked the cheapest burger on the menu. Jaskier placed the order on his phone, then handed Eskel a laser pointer so they could play with Missy while they waited. 

Eskel noticed a book on Jaskier’s coffee table that he’d read and enjoyed and it turned out they had really similar tastes. Time passed quickly when he was talking to Jaskeir, and before he knew it, their food had arrived and Jaskier had put on a show to watch while they ate. 

It was so easy for Eskel to agree to stay and finish the episode once their food was finished. And then to watch another because the first ended in a cliffhanger. While they were watching, Missy jumped into Eskel’s lap and curled up into a purring ball.

Jaskier let out a wounded noise. “You traitor! Do you have a new favourite? Can’t say I blame you.” he cooed at his cat, stroking her fur. 

Eskel’s breath caught. Jaskier was so  _ close _ , Eskel could reach out to pet the cat and hold Jaskier’s hand instead. But that was a bad idea.

“What can I say? Your cat has good taste.”

Jaskier’s lips curled up in a smirk. “She does indeed.” Suddenly scowling and pointing a scolding finger at Eskel he added, “No stealing my cat!”

“Oh please, if I wanted your cat I just wouldn’t have given her back. If anything your cat is desperate to get away.”

Jaskier gave a dramatic gasp. “She’d never! No you wouldn’t.” Jaskier devolved into baby talk. He moved to scratch under Missy’s chin, and his hand rested on Eskel’s thigh. 

Eskel bit his lip and ignored the feeling. He reminded himself that Jaskier didn’t even realize he was doing it. Luckily for him the show they were watching finished. He used it as an opening to go home. 

“Come back and visit Miscreant whenever you like. You keep her out of trouble.” said Jaskier as Eskel left the house.

“I will.” He wouldn’t. Jaskier was just being polite and Eskel knew not to take him up on it. It was fine. He’d had a good evening, and they were neighbours so there would surely be another chance to talk to the other man. 


	4. An Unexpected Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter where Eskel finally decides to make a move on Jaskier ;)

It’s the first Friday after installing the screen at Jaskier’s, and Eskel is already feeling lonely. Jaskier normally performs on weekends, and this will be the first time in a few months that he won’t get to see his bubbly neighbour.

It’s fine. He knows it's fine. Lambert might tease him about staying home alone on the weekends instead of going out, but Lambert is an  _ ass _ who complains about hangovers every Monday morning instead of learning he can’t handle his alcohol like he used to. 

So Eskel goes about his normal routine. He takes a long shower (luckily no skunks today, but he did have to crawl through the mud under someone’s porch after a raccoon), cooks dinner, and puts something mindless on TV while he scrolls through his phone and scratches Missy’s chin when she jumps on his lap just like every other Friday. 

It actually takes him a few minutes to realize that he shouldn’t  _ have _ a cat on his lap. He looks down at her, stunned, but she only mrrps at him and rubs her head on his fingers until he starts petting her again. 

He gently lifts her onto the couch beside him and goes to check his windows. They’re all closed. He double checks them, starting with the bedroom window, but all of them are securely latched and his door is locked. There’s no way a cat could get in, and he thinks he would remember  _ letting _ her in, but somehow, like Christmas in Whoville, she came just the same.

He takes a picture of Missy with her paws tucked under her on his couch and sends it to Jaskier with the message _ I have no idea how this happened, I didn’t even let her in! _

Like always, Jaskier doesn’t reply right away. He’d explained that he can only check his phone between sets. It gives Missy time to get back on Eskel’s lap and fall asleep. 

Jaskier’s reply, when it comes, starts with a string of crying laughing faces followed by the message  _ I guess I get to see you tonight after all, darling. _

Eskel bites his lip at the nickname. Jaskier  _ has _ called him that before, but seeing it spelled out always makes his heart skip a beat. No one has ever called Eskel a darling before. The rest of the message made him feel like Jaskier would have been  _ disappointed _ if he didn’t see Eskel. And if he was being honest with himself, he was really looking forward to seeing Jaskier again too.

A feeling of resolve settled in his chest. This would be the night he would finally do it. He’d invite Jaskier in and they could share whatever treat Jaskier bought at that bakery and they could sit on Eskel’s second hand couch and maybe even… Well, no use getting too far ahead of himself. They could just spend a little extra time together. That would be nice. 

He spent the whole evening talking himself into it. He liked to clean when he was nervous, which worked out because he didn’t want Jaskier to think he was a slob. 

Just when he was running out of things to fuss with, Jaskier knocked at his door. And there he was, with his warm smile and his bag of treats, and…

And a very pretty girl.

A girl with long blond hair and big blue eyes and a bright smile. She wouldn’t look out of place in a  _ magazine _ . 

“So you’re the neighbour Jaskier keeps telling me about! Hi! I’m Priscilla.” 

Priscilla. Jaskier told him about Priscilla. She’s in his band, and the two are close friends. Well, they’re clearly  _ close _ but Eskel only assumed the friends part, and what if he’d gotten that wrong?

“It’s nice to meet you. Jaskier told me about you too.”

“He is a shameless gossip.”

“Hey now.” interrupted Jaskier. “No teaming up on me, that’s no fair.”

Priscilla grabbed one of Jaskier’s arms and leaned against him. She batted her eyelashes at him and said, “Oh, but you love it.”

Jaskier just laughed and handed the bag to Eskel. He could tell without looking it was cookies again. 

Eskel took the offered bag, and Miscreant took the opportunity to try and dart past them. Jaskier scooped her up with an “Oh no you don’t” and settled her in his arms. “Thanks for looking after her again!” he chirped. 

“Yeah, no problem. I honestly don’t know how she did it though. I didn’t let her in and none of my windows were open.”

Jaskier looked sheepish “Ah, well, that doesn’t actually surprise me too much. I probably should have told you by now that I didn’t actually know how she’s getting out. After that first time I made sure to keep the window closed. I probably should have told you before you put the screen in, but you really wanted to help and I didn’t know how to say no.”

“Oh.” was all Eskel could think to say to that. 

“Anyway! Thanks as usual. We’ve gotta get going!” continued Jaskier, starting to back away. He balanced Missy in one arm and tugged on Priscilla’s sleeve.

“Awww Jaskier!” she complained, but let herself be tugged.

“No, I really think it’s time to get to bed. I’m very tired.”

Priscilla just laughed and said “Yeah sure. It was very nice to meet you Eskel!”

Eskel said goodnight to them and shut the door. He was all alone in his extremely clean house, and he felt like a fool. 

Priscilla and Jaskier were headed to  _ bed,  _ headed to bed  _ together _ , and they were both beautiful people who would make a very beautiful couple. 

God, how could he think that Jaskier wanted to spend time with  _ him _ of all people, when he’s talked about how talented and fun-loving his bandmate and oldest friend is. Except maybe not a friend, not if they went home together. 

And Jaskier, fuck, Jaskier had said that he didn’t  _ know how to say no _ to Eskel, which means that the whole time he’d been at Jaskier’s place was because Jaskier  **pitied** him. 

Eskel took a deep breath. He felt awful and heartbroken, but more than that he was painfully embarrassed with himself. He finally turned away from the door and made his way upstairs. He crawled into bed without even bothering to change or brush his teeth. 

He took a moment just to feel the hurt. He’d let himself get his hopes up and he only had himself to blame for that. It was just so  _ disappointing _ . It wasn’t  _ fair _ that Jaskier could make him fall head over heels without even realizing he was doing it. All Jaskier needed to do was smile at him and talk to him and Eskel was  _ fucked _ because this might be more than a little crush. 

The worst part was that Eskel let himself believe Jaskier felt the same way. His neighbour was so charming. His flirty jokes made Eskel think that he really was flirting, which was stupid. Why would such a beautiful, lovely man want to have anything to do with Eskel. God, he’d probably be horrified at the thought. 

But, maybe he hadn’t noticed. Eskel had been very careful not to react too obviously when Jaskier’s comments had him flustered. Jaskier never seemed uncomfortable in the way he would have if he’d thought Eskel was attracted to him. Plus, the musician must have people after him all the time so he was probably used to it. 

Eskel fervently hoped that he hadn’t made too much of a fool of himself. No one else would know that Eskel had fallen in- that Eskel had a crush on his neighbour with the friendly cat. He really, really hoped Jaskier didn’t suspect anything, and he hadn’t told his brothers, and it wasn’t like he had any other friends to tell. 

Honestly, this is the best it could have gone. He (probably) hadn’t embarrassed himself in front of his crush, and he hasn’t given his brothers any reason to tease him. He was simply reminded of what was safe and realistic to want before he could overstep a boundary. 

Moving forwards, he just had to get over the crush until he could maybe,  _ maybe _ count Jaskier as one of his friends. It would hurt if he could no longer spend time with the other man at all, and since a friendship was the only relationship he could have, that is what he would aim for. He just had to be less pushy. He needed to make sure Jaskier never felt pressured into spending time with him, never had to be in a situation where he  _ didn’t know how to say no _ ever again. 

The trick was getting over the crush without his brothers noticing. But Lambert would only care if it was something he could use to rile someone up and Geralt had the emotional range of a wooden spoon so even if they suspected something they probably wouldn’t say it. 

All he had to do was act cheerful and normal in front of his family and stop being pushy around Jaskier. Those were attainable goals. He could do this. He knew how to wait out a crush, he’d done it before often enough. He was used to being unwanted. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said it was the chapter where he /decides/ to make a move. I didn't say that it would actually happen :D 
> 
> Don't hate me <3


	5. Pet Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Geralt and Lambert think their brother needs some cheering up <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note,. I've added a tag for a past abusive relationship. It is only a brief line because that isn't something I want to get into. Just a heads up that I imply Eskel's scars and insecurities were caused by an ex.

Eskel hadn’t given his brothers enough credit, they immediately noticed his shift in mood and they were working hard to cheer him up.

It was his phone that gave him away. Eskel hadn’t realized how much he’d been texting Jaskier until he decided to keep his personal phone in his bag during work hours. Apparently the change was enough to alert his family that something was off. He also hadn’t been sleeping, and he was doing a bad enough job at making sure no one noticed his mood that Lambert accused him of looking like a “kicked puppy.”

Their solution was to invite themselves over to Eskel’s for a game night a few weeks after Eskel had almost invited Jaskier into his home. They ordered pizza and Geralt brought beer and they’re having a good time. They’d been to his place before, they helped him move in for goodness sake, but this is the first time they’d hung out like they used to when they all lived together. Eskel had missed it. He liked living by himself, but it was nice to spend time with his brothers outside of work and away from their significant others. 

He even missed the way his brothers bickered with each other over which game they were going to play, Lambert loud and cursing every other word and Geralt growling his one word answers. Eskel is in the kitchen getting a drink and just letting the familiarity wash over him. 

He has his head in the fridge, not even listening, when Lambert quietly says “What the fuck. Eskel when the fuck did you get a fucking  _ cat _ ? Don’t you think that’s something you could have mentioned? I thought Geralt was the quiet mysterious one.”

Geralt hummed disapprovingly as Eskel shut the fridge and turned around to see Lambert sprawled across his couch with Missy primly sitting on his coffee table watching him. 

“That’s not my cat, she’s the neighbour’s.”

“Why do you have the neighbour’s cat?”

Eskel shrugged and turned back to the counter so he could pour pepsi into his glass. “She sneaks in here when Jaskier isn’t home. Can’t figure out how she’s getting in.” There is silence behind him so he turns and sees both of his brother’s staring at him. “What?”

“Dude, keeping animals out of people’s houses is literally  _ your job _ . I didn’t know you were that shit at it.” Lambert snarks, but he holds his hand out for Missy to sniff.

“I tried! She used to beg to be let in at my upstairs window so I put a squirrel screen on Jaskier’s. Turns out that’s not how she’s doing it. I’m keeping an eye on it.” Eskel returned to the living room with his drink and pushed Lambert’s legs off the couch before sitting down. 

“That’s even worse!” exclaimed Lambert

“How long has she been getting in?” asked Geralt.

“Since I moved in.”

“Why didn’t we know about this?”

Eskel gave Lambert a questioning look. “Am I supposed to tell you whenever I pet sit?”

“No! But-”

“It’s not a big deal. Plus she’s good company, right Missy?” Missy took that opportunity to jump onto his lap and start kneading his leg with her claws. Eskel brushed a hand over her back and smiled.

Eskel saw Lambert and Geralt sharing a look before Geralt shifted into his pretending-to-be-casual pose. “Anything else new lately we should know about Esk?”

A mental picture of Jaskier winking up at him flashed through Eskel’s mind, but there was no way his brothers could know about that. “No?” 

“It’s just that you’ve seemed… Happier lately. Lighter.”

“Why are you saying that like it’s a problem?”

His brothers shared another look. “Because it stopped.”

Eskel’s stomach twisted in knots. His family could be a bunch of assholes, but deep down they all cared about each other. It was rare for them to be serious like this and it made him feel self conscious. He busied himself with petting Missy and bit back the urge to deflect their concern with a harsh comeback. 

He took a deep breath and decided to say enough to get his brothers to stop worrying. “Okay, yeah. I met someone. Turns out he wasn’t interested. It’s no big deal, I was just being stupid about it.”

“You asked someone out?” Lambert sounded surprised which Eskel didn’t think was very fair. “No, don’t make that face at me, that’s a good thing! I just haven’t seen you interested in someone since…you know…” 

Eskel grimaced. His last relationship had not ended well and he knew it had left more scars than just the ones on his face. It was something he still wasn’t comfortable talking about even though it had ended years ago. 

“Hey,” Lambert sat up and elbowed him before grabbing a deck of cards from the table. “Good for you man. Getting back out there. Even if it was for some fucker who can’t see that you’re a catch.”

“Shut the fuck up Lambert.”

“Yeah, yeah. Intervention over. Turns out you’re just being an angsty teenager.”

“I was not!”

“You were moodier than Geralt.” Lambert started shuffling the deck in his hands. 

“No one’s moodier than Geralt.” Eskel teased back, glad for the lighthearted mood to come back. 

“Fuck you too.” said Geralt before quietly adding. “So you’re good?”

“Yeah, sorry for worrying you guys. I guess I was pining a little.” said Eskel with a rueful smile. 

Lambert laughed and started to deal. 

Eskel pulled out his phone to let Jaskier know to pick up Missy, but he hesitated before sending a message. He read over their conversations from the past couple weeks. He’d told Jaskier that he’d gotten a work phone so he wouldn’t be able to use his personal one during work hours. Jaskier had still been sending him a flurry of texts and pictures even though Eskel wasn’t sending as many back. Eskel was grateful that Jaskier was still interested in keeping in touch, it meant he probably wouldn’t lose his friend while he was trying to get over the crush. On the other hand, Eskel missed how easy it was to message Jaskier without overthinking everything he wrote. 

He finally sent a text that told Jaskier Missy was at his place again and turned his attention to the card game in front of him.

His brothers were such a good distraction that Eskel had completely forgotten about Jaskier by the time the musician knocked on his door. He startled and disturbed Miscreant, who jumped out of his lap and disappeared up the stairs. 

Eskel looked between the stairs and the door a few times before deciding it would be rude to keep Jaskier waiting outside while he went looking for the cat. 

Jaskier was looking good as always. He gave Eskel a wide smile when he opened the door. “Hello again neighbour! Oh, do you have people over?”

Eskel turned and saw that Lambert had moved into the kitchen where he could see the front door. He turned back to Jaskier and said, “Yeah, my brothers came over tonight. Um. Missy is upstairs, I have to go looking for her. Would you like to come in for a second?

Jaskiers smile got wider. “Do I finally get to see my little Miscreant’s second home?”

Eskel’s heart fluttered, remembering what had been in his mind when he’d considered inviting Jaskier in before. His neighbour followed him in and dropped the familiar bag of treats on his kitchen counter. Lambert instantly perked up at the sight of it.

“Is that from Rosemary and Thyme?” asked Lambert.

“It is!” answered Jaskier. “Hi, I’m Jaskier.” He held out a hand and Lambert took it.

“Lambert, and that’s Geralt in the living room.” Geralt nodded in greeting as Lambert introduced them. 

Eskel went upstairs to look for Jaskier’s cat and hoped his brothers and Jaskier would get along. It took him a while to find Miscreant. He had to look all around for her which he had never had to do before, usually she was very friendly and liked to be with people. After checking under the bed for the second time, Eskel finally spotted her on his desk chair which was pushed in under the desk. He picked her up and kissed the top of her head before going back downstairs. 

He wasn’t surprised to see that Lambert and Jaskier were laughing and talking together, and even less surprised that Lambert had helped himself to the cookies Jaskier brought. 

“Here she is,” said Eskel, “She was hiding pretty well.”

Jaskier walked over to scratch Missy’s ears while she was still in Eskel’s arms. He tried not to tense up at how  _ close _ Jaskier was standing. “Well I guess I can’t blame her for wanting to stay in this lovely house with all you lovely people.” He grinned up at Eskel and his mind went blank.

He was saved from coming up with an answer by Lambert asking, “Hey Jaskier, do you play gwent?”

“I do.”

“I wanna play but we need a fourth. You in?”

Eskel interrupted the conversation. “Lambert, he just spent the night playing a gig and it’s late. I’m sure he doesn’t want to play cards right now.”

“Don’t be rude Kelly, he can make his own choices. What do you say, Jaskier? You can be on my team, I always win.”

Jaskier looked between Eskel and Lambert before saying, “Well, I wouldn’t want to intrude…”

“See Esk? You’re making him feel unwelcome. Is that how you’re going to treat the man who brought me cookies?”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I’m sure you’re tired from performing.”

“Actually performing always keys me up. I have lots of energy to burn after a show.”

“Well if you’re sure you’re welcome to stay.” 

“Thanks! And now this little girl doesn’t have to say goodbye so soon.” said Jaskier, nuzzling his face against his cat’s. Eskel’s heart stuttered at his closeness. Over Jaskier’s head he saw Lambert and Geralt looking at him with raised eyebrows so he passed the cat over to his neighbour and tried to ignore his blush.

They moved to sit around the table with Missy sitting on Jaskier’s lap. Eskel liked how relaxed the two of them looked in his house surrounded by his brothers.

Geralt, to Eskel’s surprise, was the one who started making small talk with Jaskier. He asked, “What was the gig you were doing before this?”

“I was playing at the Cintra. I’m in a band with my friends Priscialla and Essi, we play there every Friday.”

“How is Priscilla doing?” asked Eskel. He noticed Jaskier had used the word  _ friends _ to describe both members of his band.

“She’s doing great! She and Essi are actually out celebrating right now, we’ve got some good news! A producer liked our demo, and we’ve got a contract to record our album at her studio!”

“Wow, congratulations Jaskier, that is great news!” 

“What are you doing here when your band is out celebrating?” asked Geralt.

“Thanks! And I didn’t really feel like staying out tonight, and now that I’m here I’m glad I didn’t.” Jaskier said, smiling at Eskel.

Eskel blushed and looked down at his cards.

Lambert stood up and sauntered into the kitchen. “We’re gonna have to celebrate here then. Let me get you a drink.”

The four of them got drinks and toasted to Jaskier’s success. 

“Your band must be good if you’ve gotten signed onto a contract.” said Geralt

“I’d say we are!” agreed Jaskier. “You should come see us play sometime. I’d love to see you there.”

Lambert thought that was a great idea, and promised to go the next chance he got. They continued to chat and play cards. Eskel was having a great time. Jaskier was getting along really well with his brothers, and he even got Geralt to be more talkative than normal. Eskel admired how easily he could chat with near strangers. 

Jaskier started asking Geralt and Lambert’s jobs. “So are you all heroic cat rescuers like Eskel?”

Geralt snorted. “No, he’s the only one who wants to risk getting rabies. I handle the insect infestation side of the business, Lambert does the mice and rats.”

“Oh gross! You certainly got the best deal there, Eskel dear.” said Jaskier. Eskel froze at hearing him call him by a nickname in front of his family. 

“Not for long though, if he can’t even keep out a cat! I can’t believe you haven’t figured out how she’s getting out. What would Vesemir say if he heard about that?”

“Oh, no Lambert, It’s not his fault. He thought she was getting through the window and did an excellent job screening it off. Besides, he’ll never admit it, but it is all part of his master plan to steal my cat.” Jaskier winked at him and Eskel hoped his brothers would blame his blush on the alcohol he was drinking. 

“I keep telling you, she’s desperate to get away from you.” Eskel joked back. “Besides, I already have a pet, I don’t need to steal yours.”

“What! You never told me! Where is it?”

Eskel pointed to the tank with his scorpion and watched Jaskier rush over to stick his nose against the glass.

“What’s in here! A scorpion! It’s so cute! What’s its name?”

Eskel sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “His name is Horse.”

Jaskier gave him an incredulous look as Lambert and Geralt laughed at him. “You named your pet scorpion  _ Horse _ ? Why?”

“He always wanted a horse growing up.” Geralt answered for Eskel.

“That’s such a stupid name!” laughed Jaskier.

“Bold words from someone who named his cat Missy.” said Lambert.

“Excuse you, Miscreant isn’t just a name, it’s a description.”

“I think we can all agree,” said Geralt, “That it is still better than Horse.”

“Like you have room to talk! You’re an exterminator and named your cocker spaniel Roach! Like a cockroach!” argued Eskel

“She’s named after the species of fish!”   
  


“That’s worse!” said Eskel and Lambert together. This was an argument they’d had many times before. 

Jaskier was almost in tears from laughing at them. Eskel thought he looked beautiful like that and wished he could make Jaskier laugh like that all the time.

“What about you Lambert? Do you have a pet with a funny name?”

Eskel spoke before Lambert could answer, “Yeah, he’s got a kitten named Aiden.”

“You have a cat too?”

“No! Fuck you Eskel.” Lambert moved to swat at his brother but Eskel caught his hand and the two of them started to grapple with each other.

Geralt took pity on Jaskier’s confusion and explained, “Aiden is Lambert’s boyfriend. He accidentally called him Kitten at a family dinner once and we’ve never let him live it down.”

“Awww” cooed Jaskier.

“Speaking of” said Lambert, pushing away from Eskel, “he’s probably on his way here by now.”

“Oh wow, I hadn’t realized how late it is.” said Eskel. And it was true. Normally he’d be exhausted to stay up this late, but he hadn’t even realized how fast the time had gone. 

Jaskier picked up Miscreant from where she was sitting. “I might head out then. Thank you for inviting me over. It was a pleasure meeting you both.”

“Thanks for helping me beat these two fuckers at cards.” said Lambert. “I can’t wait to go see your band play.”

Eskel walked Jaskier to the door. Geralt started cleaning up the cards and Lambert took everyone’s glasses to the kitchen. He snagged another cookie on his way. 

Before Jaskier left he leaned over and gave Eskel a one-armed hug, trying not to squish Miscreant. “I had a really great time tonight. Your brothers are really sweet.” he said quietly enough that Eskel thought his brothers probably wouldn’t be able to hear.

“I’m glad you could stay. It was really nice having you over.”

“Any time, Eskel dear.” Jaskier squeezed one more time before letting go and stepping out into the night. Eskel closed the door behind him.

When he turned around he was met with identical smirks on both of his brothers. 

“What?”

“ _ Eskel dear _ .” crooned Lambert.

“Shut up.”

“It’s sweet.”

“It’s not like that.”

“It could be.” said Geralt.

“I told you, he isn’t interested.”

There was a beat of silence before Lambert slowly said, “Eskel, he’s definitely interested. Are you telling me he’s the guy you were talking about earlier? What did he say when you asked him out?”

“I never said I asked him out.”

“Then how the fuck do you know he isn’t interested?!”

“Lambert, drop it.”

“No! You’re supposed to be the smart one!”

“Yeah, well you guys set a low bar.”

“I can’t believe this shit.”

Aiden chose that moment to knock on the door. Eskel was still standing next to it so he opened it so his brother’s partner could come in. Aiden immediately noticed the tension and because he was an asshole, decided to comment on it. “Yikes. Intervention’s going well, then?”

Lambert uncrossed his arms and went to greet his boyfriend. “Hey babe, did you know you were dating the most emotionally competent Mohren brother?”

“Aww and I thought I was dating the pretty one.” said Aiden, kissing Lambert on the cheek. “Are you ready to go or do you guys need more time?”

“No, I’m kicking you idiots out.” said Eskel. “It’s already late and Lambert’s eating all of my food.”

Geralt came up behind him and pulled him into a hug. “Sorry for being dicks about this. We just want to see you happy. You deserve good things Esk, and it kinda looks like your neighbour could be a good thing for you. Think about it.”

Eskel hugged him back. Hugs from Geralt always managed to ground him. He relished in the familiarity of it and let Geralt’s words sink in. 

“Okay. I’ll think about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just supposed to be a chapter where I could share the silly pet names I came up with, but apparently you guys want nice things for Eskel? Hope you enjoyed this nice long fluffy chapter <3


	6. Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lambert finally gets Eskel out of the damn house. How deep does the conspiracy go?

Eskel stared at his phone in confusion. Lambert had just texted him that he and Aiden were on their way to pick him up and warned him to be ready, but Eskel had no idea what he was supposed to be ready for. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday or a holiday, and no one had talked about after work plans. As far as he knew it was just an ordinary Friday. He sent a questioning text to Lambert but resigned himself to getting ready regardless. His youngest brother wasn’t known for his patience.

Thankfully Eskel had showered after work so he didn’t have to worry about being sweaty and gross. He decided not to bother dressing too formally, anything that would require a dress shirt and trousers would be something important enough that he wouldn’t have forgotten it. Eskel pulled on a pair of jeans that were too nice for him to wear to work and a red plaid button-down over a black t-shirt. 

Missy’s food bowl caught his eye while he was debating eating something before leaving. He didn’t know if the cat would come to visit while he was out. Fridays were the days she normally appeared in his house because that’s when Jaskier played at the Cintra. He decided to scoop some tuna into her bowl to see if she would visit while he was away. If the food was gone when she came back then he’d know she’d been there. 

Eskel was surprised when Lambert knocked on the door. Usually his brother would just text that he was outside without bothering to leave the car. The reason became clear when Lambert scanned his outfit and announced “You’ll do” before dragging him out of the house. Eskel patted his pockets to double check that he had his wallet and phone before locking up. 

Aiden was waiting in the passenger seat when Eskel slid into the back of Lambert’s car. He also ran a critical eye over Eskel, making him feel self conscious. 

Aiden greeted him and then unexpectedly told Eskel to roll up his shirt sleeves.

Eskel frowned in confusion. “Why?”

“Chicks dig it.” Aiden said with a shrug. 

Eskel sighed and followed Aiden’s advice. His brother’s partner had always had good fashion sense. He didn’t understand why his appearance mattered so much tonight. 

Lambert snorted and started the car. “How do you know what the chicks dig?”

Eskel let the couple bicker for a few minutes before interrupting to ask where they were going.

“Do you seriously not know?” asked Lambert.

“No?”

“Well then, you’re in for a surprise.”

Eskel groaned because he knew Lambert well enough to see his brother was scheming. Dread was pooling in his gut. He was sure that he was the focus of whatever nonsense Lambert was up to, and his brother’s plans always ended in a dramatic mess. 

His suspicions were confirmed when Lambert parked and led them to their destination. It was the Cintra. Eskel stopped in his tracks, but Aiden and Lambert each grabbed one of his arms and all but dragged him inside. The conspiracy was bigger than Eskel expected, because Geralt and Yennefer were already waiting for them at a table. 

“What are we doing here?” Eskel asked, but he feared he already knew the answer.

Lambert smirked and guided him across the bar. “We promised your dear neighbour we would come and watch his show. Besides, when was the last time we all went out together. Good company, good music. It’ll be fun!”

Eskel took a seat and was relieved to see that Geralt was decent enough to have already ordered a pitcher of beer to share. He filled a glass and resigned himself to his family’s poor attempts at matchmaking. 

It  _ had _ been a long time since they had all spent time together and Eskel was determined to enjoy himself. He ordered nachos to share with the table and got caught up with Yennefer and Aiden’s news. 

He managed to relax and forget the reason he’d been dragged to the bar until the music shifted from top-forty pop songs into a live band. Eskel turned to look at the stage and his breath caught. 

The Travelling Bards were set up on a low stage on one wall of the bar. There was a drummer that Eskel hadn't met but knew was called Essi as well as Priscilla set up in front of a keyboard. They were both beautiful women, but his eyes were magnetically drawn to Jaskier with his guitar.

Jaskier looked  _ good _ on stage. He always looked good, but performing was when he was in his element. He glowed in the soft stage lights. His dark brown hair caught the dim bar lighting like polished bronze. Eskel wished he could see the musician’s eyes to see if the blue was as pretty as it was up close. Jaskier smiled and it came through in his music. The first song was upbeat and Eskel found himself smiling and tapping his foot inside his shoe.

Jaskier wasn’t the only singer. He took turns with Priscilla or joined her in a duet. They both had beautiful voices, but Eskel only had eyes and ears for Jaskier. A fair number of people were up and dancing in front of the low stage, a railing keeping them from pushing into the band’s space. Eskel almost wanted to join the dancing throng, just to get closer, to see Jaskier more clearly. 

The music morphed into something slower. Couples on the dance floor drew each other close. Jaskier’s voice was full of longing as he sang about unrequited love. Eskel’s breath caught. It was like Jaskier had read the words written in his heart.  _ Look at me,  _ the song pleaded,  _ see me, I’m here for you if you’ll have me _ . All the longing and love Eskel felt for Jaskier came bubbling to the surface. He felt torn open and raw. The song didn’t last and the music swung back to a fast dance tempo, but Eskel was left reeling.

He didn’t even realize he’d watched the whole set in silence until the band announced they’d be taking a short break. He flushed and was grateful his family had carried on their conversations without giving him a hard time about it. Yen did give him a knowing smirk, but she also poured the last of the pitcher into his glass, so he wasn’t too upset about it. 

“I’ll get the next round.” Lambert announced, before heading to the bar. Eskel was a bit surprised by that, since Lambert hadn’t been drinking. Aiden had been drinking enough for the both of them, and Eskel was pulled into a conversation with the other man and they were soon laughing together about a client Aiden had dealt with at his work the previous week.

Lambert thunked down a new pitcher of beer on the table, startling Eskel. He looked up and saw that Lambert hadn’t returned alone. Jaskier was standing beside him. Eskel blushed a deep red and prayed that no one would comment on it. 

“Here, Jaskier, have a seat and say hello. I’m going to the bathroom.”

Eskel barely heard Yen as she got up and left as well. He was hit with a sudden wave of exhaustion. He resented that Lambert was all but literally forcing Eskel and Jaskier together. Why couldn’t he leave things alone? It was bad enough that Eskel had to deal with his own stupid crush, his brother didn’t have to rub his nose in it.

He hated that Lambert was being so pushy, first over cards the week before and now coming to sit at this table. Pushing Jaskier was the one thing he’d resolved to stop doing after Jaskier had told him  _ he didn’t know how to say no _ . It hurt to think that Jaskier might only here because he felt pressured to be polite. 

It was just suddenly all too much. Maybe part of it was the beer, or the loud bar, but after having to listen to Jaskier, beautiful Jaskier, singing about heartbreak Eskel just really wanted to go home.

Jaskier had dropped into Yen’s seat beside Eskel. Both Aiden and Geralt were complimenting him on his performance. Well, Aiden did, Geralt grunted out a “You play good” and left it at that. It was more than Eskel managed, he was far too upset and tongue tied to say anything. 

Jaskier turned to him with a grin. “No review?”

Eskel scrambled for something to say. It wasn’t fair to take his shitty mood out on Jaskier, so he forced some enthusiasm into his voice.“It was good! Really good. I liked it.”

“There were a bunch of really good ones I didn’t recognize.” Aiden observed. He always seemed to be up to date on what was popular.

“Those may have been our originals. We mostly have to play crowd favourites, but we try to sneak in a few of our own in there too, to see if people like them.”

“Was the slow one yours?” asked Eskel. 

He swore he saw Jaskier flush. “Ah, yes, that one was one of mine.”

“It was nice.”

An unreadable expression passed over Jaskier’s face for a second. “Nice. Definitely going for  _ nice _ when I wrote it, yup.” He stole Eskel’s drink and took a large sip. When he put the glass down his bright smile was back in place. “So what’s the occasion?” 

Eskel looked at him, confused, “Occasion?”

Jaskier elaborated. “What’s got you all here tonight? Special occasion?”

“Lambert wanted to see you play.” Eskel shrugged.

“So I have Lambert to thank for seeing you tonight. You say that like you  _ didn’t _ want to see me play.” Jaskier teased.

Eskel winced. “I don’t really like bars.”

Jaskier reached out and softly put his hand on Eskel’s arm just below where he’d rolled up his sleeves. His thumb stroked along the soft skin of his inner arm and Eskel had to force down a shiver. “I’m glad you decided to come anyway.” Jaskier said. His voice was soft enough Eskel almost couldn’t hear it over the noise of the bar. “It means a lot.”

Eskel hummed in agreement, embarrassed that a simple hand on his arm was affecting him so much. 

Lambert and Yen chose that moment to come back, and Jaskier pulled his arm away. Eskel missed the warmth immediately. Jaskier tried to give Yen her chair back, but she waved him off in favour of stealing Lambert’s.

Lambert glowered and started to complain when Aiden snaked his arms around him and pulled him into his lap. The resulting bitching from Lambert made the whole table laugh. Aiden had had a lot more to drink than Eskel realized.

Suddenly two more people arrived at the table. Eskel recognized Priscilla and the drummer for the band, Essi, even though he had never seen her before tonight.

“Jaskier! Break time is over, we gotta go!”

“I was just saying hi to some friends.”

“Say hi to them after the set! Or better yet, invite them to Rosemary and Thyme after and chat as long as you want, but we gotta get on stage.”

“Yes!” Aiden shouted, “Snackssssss.”

Jaskier laughed and stood to go. He smiled at Eskel one more time. “I’ll see you after, yeah?”

“Yeah, uh, break a leg Jask.”

Jaskier beamed and reached out to squeeze his shoulder one more time before following his bandmates back to the stage.

Lambert disentangled himself from his drunken boyfriend and plopped back on the empty chair. Aiden pouted for a moment then turned his eyes to Eskel. “What the fuck was that!” 

“What was what?” Eskel asked, tired and irritable.

Aiden waved his arm dramatically. “Wasn’t that the guy? Why were you being such an asshole?!”

“I wasn’t being an asshole!”

“No, Aiden’s right. You were.” said Geralt. Eskel shot him a dirty look.

Lambert groaned. “Tell this whole night hasn’t been ruined because you’re being a moody dick about this.”

“Have any of you considered that I don’t actually want to be here?”

“You seemed like you were enjoying yourself before.” Yenn offered.

Eskel sighed. “And now I’m not. Can we just go?”

“Nah, I want to hear the rest of the music, and then we’re going to go get some of those cookies I like. If Aiden keeps going we’ll need some carbs to sober him up.” he smiled fondly at his partner. Aiden poured another glass from the fresh pitcher and toasted him with a smirk before knocking it back. 

Eskel glared at them and crossed his arms. They were his ride home, unless he wanted to call a taxi. He debated leaving, but he wasn’t sure if his overbearing family would let him. 

Jaskier’s band started up again, but he could barely focus on the music. Aiden was draping himself over Lambert, and even Yen and Geralt were curled up against each other. He was keenly aware that he was sitting with two happy couples and that he was the odd man out. They tried to chat and joke with him like before, but all he could think about was his quiet apartment. He could be enjoying a nice night by himself, or maybe with a cat curled up on his lap, but instead he was here getting embarrassed by his family in a loud, sweaty bar. 

It was a relief when his family finally decided to call it a night. The cool night air was refreshing after the stuffy bar. They said their goodbyes to Geralt and Yennefer and Eskel turned to walk towards Lambert’s car. A hand snagged on his shirt and he turned to see Aiden looking at him with a feral grin. 

“Come on!” he said, tugging at Eskel’s sleeve, “We’ve gotta go get you a _ snack _ !”

Eskel groaned. “Can’t we just go home? Or I can buy you something at a drive through?”

“Oh? But what if there’s a special  _ treat _ waiting for you?”

Lambert nudged his drunken boyfriend. “Tone it down. We’ll get the cookies then get your drunk ass home.”

Eskel sighed but followed the two of them across the street to the little bakery. He crossed his fingers that Lambert meant they wouldn’t stay for too long in the bakery so that he could shepherd Aiden off to bed. Maybe they would be quick enough to miss Jaskier and his band when they came in after the show. Surely they would have to put away their equipment and pack up. He might just get away without any more embarrassing meetings after all. 

The bakery was bright and cheerful. There were shelves with books and games along one wall and an array of refrigerators and coffee machines along the other. There were soft couches and chairs as well as wooden chairs and tables scattered throughout. Eskel remembered Jaskier saying the bakery wanted to provide a safe place for people to go out without needing to drink alcohol. It looked warm and inviting and he wished he could have spent his night here instead of at the bar. 

There was a variety of delicious looking baked goods behind the glass display case and Eskel decided to get one of the savoury scones. After paying for it, he was surprised to see that Aiden was spending a long time deciding what he wanted. What was more surprising was that Lambert was patiently waiting for him to make a decision. Usually his brother would be grumbling to  _ just fucking pick something _ , but Lambert was always unusually indulgent with Aiden. 

Eskel soon suspected an ulterior motive for the delay when all three of the Traveling Bards walked into the shop. Suddenly, Aiden had no problem deciding on a piece of chocolate peanut butter cheesecake. Lambert paid and ushered Eskel and Aiden to a set of chairs that would accommodate more than three people. He pushed Eskel onto the couch before settling into a plush armchair with Aiden on his lap. Eskel did not miss that there was an empty seat beside him and he knew who his brother expected to sit in it. 

Eskel tried to think of a way to prevent Lambert from getting Jaskier to come over, but it turned out that his brother didn’t need to do anything. Jaskier bounced over and dropped beside him without even ordering anything. 

“Hey you! Did you enjoy the rest of the show?”

Eskel honestly couldn’t remember the rest of the performance, he had been too lost in his own thoughts. He knew that the band was excellent and that he’d enjoy anything that Jaskier did, so it didn’t feel too much like lying when he said, “Yeah, your band is really good. I’m glad I could come out tonight.”

“I’m glad you did too.” Jaskier smiled and Eskel bit his lip and tried to come up with something to change the subject.

“You didn’t order anything. Not hungry?”

“Oh I’m always hungry after I play. Plus, they have the most excellent tea here which is great for sore throats. I always get it after a show.”

Eskel makes a snap decision. Maybe he also had too much alcohol, or maybe Lambert’s matchmaking is getting to him. Either way, no one is more surprised than he is when he says, “I think it’s my turn to treat you then, after all the times you’ve bought me stuff from here.”

Jaskier beams at him. “Well, you won’t hear me complaining about that.” 

After confirming what Jaskier likes, Eskel goes up to the counter to order. He’s a bit wary of leaving Jaskier alone with his idiot brother and Aiden, but aside from dragging them apart it can’t be helped. 

Eskel attempts to listen in to their conversation the entire time he is waiting for Jaskier’s tea to be ready. Thankfully they seem to be chatting about the performance and Jaskier’s music and not about anything that would embarrass Eskel. It is still a relief when he can place the warm mug in front of Jaskier and join him back on the couch. 

Aiden immediately turns to Lambert and whines about wanting his own tea. Lambert kisses his temple and says, “Okay, come pick out a flavour.” and the two of them disappear to the cash register. 

“This is excellent, thank you Eskel.” Jaskier met his eyes over the mug he was holding in both hands. He breathed in the steam and closed his eyes as a smile twitched at the corners of his lips. Eskel’s heart beat a little faster at how lovely he looked.

He cleared his throat. “No problem. Glad I could start to pay you back for all the treats you bring me.”

“But I’m bringing you treats to pay you back for taking such good care of my cat. You can’t pay back my payback!”

“What if I like looking after your cat? Seems awfully silly to pay me for stealing her.”

“I knew you were stealing my cat! You’re trying to turn her against me!”

“I am. I even left out food for her tonight to coax her into coming over.”

“Did you really?” Jaskier laughed. “She’s got you wrapped around her little toe bean, no wonder she goes to your place all the time.”

“I wonder which house she’ll be in when we get home.” Eskel mused. 

Jaskier hummed. It reminded him of Geralt. “Wanna make a bet?”

“Depends on the stakes.”

“Whose ever house my darling Miscreant is in when we get home will be declared her favourite.”

“You’re on. I left her the good tuna.”

“Oh, you cheater! She only likes you for the food!” 

Eskel laughed and admired Jaskier’s bright eyes. 

“So. I have exciting news.” said Jaskier. He took a sip of his tea and raised his eyebrows, encouraging Eskel follow up.

“Oh? What is it?”

“The Bards are going to be shooting a music video next weekend. Like a full professional shoot with a director and hired actors and everything.”

“Wow, that is so cool! Which song is it for?”

“ _ Toss a Coin. _ Apparently it is our catchiest one, and the one the agent is going to use to promote us the most.”

Eskel nodded. He remembered that one from their set earlier. It was catchy and a lot of fun. “What is the video going to be?”

“Honestly, it sounds like a frat party. There’s this big mansion outside of town, like a real fancy place where they do all kinds of filming apparently, and they’re basically going to throw a huge party there. We get to set up a stage in a few different locations and the actors dance around like they’re having the time of their lives even though they’re listening to the same song over and over.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun. Are you excited?”

“ _ So  _ excited. This is like a dream come true. Everything is happening so fast!”

They continued to chat about the plans for Jaskier’s band and other new things in their lives. Eskel loses track of time completely until he notices the staff wiping down tables and flipping the chairs on top of them.

With a jolt, he realizes that he and Jaskier are the only two people left in the cafe other than the staff. More alarmingly, he has no idea where Lambert and Aiden disappeared to. 

“Umm. I think they’re closing up.” Eskel stated the obvious.

“Yeah, wanna get out of here?”

Eskel nodded and they made their way outside with a thank you to the bakery workers. 

“Lambert was supposed to drive me home. I have no idea where he went.” Eskel explained as he shot a text to his brother. Instantly his phone started to ring and Eskel turned away to answer it. He didn’t even bother with a greeting.

  
  


“Where the hell did you go?”

Lambert laughed. “We’re at home. Have been for a while. Did you only just notice? Was there something  _ distracting _ you?”

“Are you fucking serious? You were supposed to be my ride home, you dick!”

“Why don’t you get your neighbour to  _ take you home _ ?” Lambert asked, his voice full of innuendo.

“The next raccoon I have to trap I’m going to release in your car.”

“That’s no way to thank me for finally getting you a date.”

“A  _ rabid _ racoon. In your car.”

Lambert cackled and hung up on him.

Eskel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked up when Jaskier laughed.

“I take it your brother ditched you?”

Eskel nodded sheepishly. “Wanna share a cab home?”

“Sounds good.”

The ride back to their neighbourhood was full of laughter and cursing out certain flaky family members.

They stepped out of the taxi onto the curb between their two houses. Jaskier leaned in to hug him. Hesitantly, Eskel wrapped his arms around Jaskier and pulled him closer. He felt warm and solid in his arms. Jaskier tipped his head back to smile at him and his heartbeat was pounding in his ears. The world seemed to narrow down to focus on the feeling of Jaskier in his arms and the sweet smile on his face. 

“I had a lovely time tonight.” said Jaskier, fluttering his eyelashes at him.

Eskel’s breathing stuttered. He should do something, say how much he enjoyed seeing Jaskier, maybe close the distance and see if his smile tasted as sweet as it looked. Anything.

But his nerves overcame him. Anxiety and panic started to squeeze his chest and he had to step back. He stepped out of Jaskier’s warm arms and reflexively turned his scared face away. He ran a hand through his hair in a nervous gesture before turning back to Jaskier with what he hoped was a normal, friendly smile. 

“Yeah, uh, me too. Your band sounds good. I’m glad I could see you play.” Eskel’s feet started to inch towards his own door and away from the mess he was making in front of his crush. 

“Eskel.” called Jaskier softly. Eskel couldn’t figure out the expression on his face in the dim streetlight. He seemed to be weighing his next words carefully. “Next weekend. The music video shoot. Would you… Would you like to come? 

“Like, to watch?”

Jaskier shrugged. “There’ll be a few people there that we know, but the company just hired a bunch of extras to be a crowd. I’d really appreciate having a friendly face.”

“Oh. Well, sure. Let me know the details.”

“I will. Goodnight then.”

“Yeah, goodnight Jaskier.”

Eskel watched as Jaskier turned away and walked to his door. 

Stepping into the house, Eskel had to take a deep breath to calm his nerves. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he checked it as a distraction from his racing thoughts. Unfortunately the text was from Jaskier, a picture of him and Miscreant and a series of texts.

_ She was waiting for me to get home, I’m still the favourite. _

_ But don’t worry, you’re still MY favourite ;) _

The second text left him reeling. He didn’t know how to cope with the way those words made him feel so he chose to ignore it for the night. 

Eskel looked at her food bowl. It was empty. The cat had wandered into his house and wandered back to Jaskier’s by herself afterwards. 

Eskel bit his lip. He knew that he should tell Jaskier that there was no reason for the other man to come over to collect his cat if the cat could come and go as she pleased. He couldn’t bring himself to tell his neighbour. He craved seeing him even if he had to use the cat as an excuse. He craved any excuse that would let him hold Jaskier like that again. 

But maybe he didn’t need an excuse, not if he was Jaskier's favourite. Maybe he could just ask like how Jaskeir had just asked him to go to the music video like it was no big deal. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe Eskel could ask Jaskier to spend time with him, and maybe get to hug him goodbye again. 

Except Eskel knew that the next time he held Jaskier in his arms there was no way he could ever let him go. No way he could stop himself from leaning down and kissing the other man. 

He tried to tell himself he shouldn’t do it. That things weren’t like that between them.

But maybe they could be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But seriously though, I want to go watch a live band in a crowded bar so bad. Sorry Eskel, but I'm different.
> 
> No raccoons were harmed in the making of this chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read this far please let me know what you think! Kudos, and especially comments really make my day :)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
